May 7 – Elkanah: not quite Abraham… not quite Isaac

May 7
1 Samuel 1:1-2:21
John 5:1-23
Psalm 105:37-45
Proverbs 14:28-29

I Samuel 1:2 – In case you think the Bible is endorsing polygamy, see what I Samuel 1:6-7 says about the immediate results in this situation, and consider the social context of Judges (hint: it involves a lot of sins), as well as what we see in the next verse.

I Samuel 1:3 – If we interpret as Barnes suggests, the Israelites were down to one feast as opposed to Exodus 23:14 and Exodus 34:23 that say three times.

I Samuel 1:8 – Like many men today, Elkanah offered his wife advice that did not help.

I Samuel 1:10 – Psalm 113:9 says the LORD will give the barren children. Unlike Sarah (Genesis 16:2), Hannah did not take things into her hands. She knew there were promises she could claim (Exodus 23:26, Deuteronomy 7:14). But like Isaac, she intreated the LORD (Genesis 25:21). She knows what happened to Manoah (Judges 13:5), and was claiming that scenario. However, if her husband had read the Torah, would he have responded like Isaac and intreated the Lord instead of his reply in I Samuel 1:8, and instead of letting his wife suffer alone?

English: Biblical illustrations by Jim Padgett, courtesy of Sweet Publishing, Ft. Worth, TX, and Gospel Light, Ventura, CA. Copyright 1984. Released under new license, CC-BY-SA 3.0

I Samuel 1:14 – Eli did not have the gift of discernment. He couldn’t tell the difference between prayer and drunkenness. He couldn’t tell that his kids were sons of Belial (I Samuel 2:12), that the people abhorred the offering (I Samuel 2:17) until he was very old (I Samuel 2:22). He couldn’t honor God above his sons (I Samuel 2:29), and could barely recognize the voice of the LORD (after the third try!) (I Samuel 3:8).

John 5:8 – In I Samuel 2:8 that we read earlier today, Hannah said that the LORD lifteth up the beggar. Jesus lifted up this certain man who no longer needed to beg.

John 5:14 – In Luke 17:15, we see only one of the ten lepers came back to thank Jesus, and that leper received salvation in addition to healing (Luke 17:19). This man didn’t even get what Jesus was saying (John 5:7), and didn’t thank Jesus (John 5:9), and didn’t know Jesus name (John 5:13), and possibly couldn’t recognize Jesus (Jesus approached him, he didn’t approach Jesus – John 5:14). Interestingly Jesus tells him the same thing He told the woman caught in adultery (John 8:11).

Psalm 105:45 – God funded His people, delivered His people, fed His people, watered His people, provided lands for His people, and all He asks is obedience!

Share how reading thru the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at [email protected] or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.

Leave a Reply